Emerald | Women In Management Review

Foreign banks: executive jobs for Turkish women?

Oya Culpan, Toni Marzotto, Nazmi Demir — 2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the employment policies and practices of Turkish banks and how these practices affect the hiring and promotion of women. Turkey's banking sector consists of state-owned, private, and foreign banks. The overall restructuring of this sector along with the increase of foreign banks is an opportunity to enquire whether human resource (HR) policies of foreign banks have a differential effect on women's employment. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in three phases. Phase 1: employment data for all three bank types were analyzed with particular reference to women's employment. About 12 of the largest banks were selected for in-depth study representing each of the three bank categories. Phase 2: bank-specific data were collected from the HR directors including: bank structure, personnel and recruitment policies, management levels, women in each level and professional employment application. Phase 3: structured personal interviews were conducted with the HR directors in the 12 selected banks. Findings – The HR departments of foreign banks use different assessment and selection criteria compared with Turkish private and state-owned banks. These criteria emphasize rank-in-person, which enhances the upward mobility of employees. Because of their flexibility, they may advantage female employment. Research limitations/implications – Survey data from female employees by type of bank would demonstrate a close relationship between organizational structure and women's career advancement. However, this study only interviewed HR managers. The methodology does not indicate whether and to what extent women in three banking types perceive the effect of structure on their career advancement. Practical implications – HR practices of the three categories evidences that foreign banks in Turkey add a variety of competencies of their prospective employees in their application forms. These additional dimensions may improve the recruitment and promotion of women into management positions. It is argued that employment applications that include individual or rank-in-person characteristics rather than job-based criteria advantage women. Originality/value – This is the only study that examines women's employment stratified by Turkey's three banking categories. The effect of culture and structure on employment practices and how this influences the mobility of women are explored.

Ethnic minority migrant women entrepreneurs and the imperial imprimatur

Edwina Pio — 2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the work experiences of ethnic minority migrant Indian women and their reasons for entering entrepreneurship in post-colonial New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach – Over a period of five years, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 Indian women migrant entrepreneurs in New Zealand. A total of approximately 50 hours of interviews with 200 hours of transcription and member checks contributed to the understanding of these women. The interpretations were enhanced by congruence of ethnicity and gender of the researcher-author. Findings – The qualitative interviews surfaced issues of being non-white, exclusionary employment practices and negotiating post-colonial New Zealand in order to follow the migrant dream despite the prevalence of softwares of colonialism in the mindset of the host country. Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted in one country (New Zealand) on one ethnicity (Indian); hence, there needs to be caution in generalizing the findings for other ethnic minority women and in other post-colonial countries. Practical implications – The research focuses on the experiences of educated ethnic minority women who are often marginalized based on their visible diversity discriminators, despite efforts by the New Zealand Government to create an equitable non-racialized society. Originality/value – The paper is a powerful reminder of the need to understand the layered reality of ethnic minority women and to reduce the gap between policy and action.

Influence of culture, family and individual differences on choice of gender-dominated occupations among female students in tertiary institutions

Samuel O. Salami — 2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of family, individual difference and cultural factors on the choice of gender-dominated occupations among female students in some tertiary institutions. Design/methodology/approach – A field-based survey approach was adopted to collect quantitative data through the means of questionnaires from 340 female students randomly selected from tertiary institutions in Southwest Nigeria. Findings – Hierarchical multiple-regression statistical analysis employed revealed that family, individual differences and cultural factors were good predictors (collectively and independently) of choice of gender-dominated occupations of female students. Research limitations/implications – These findings were limited to nursing and engineering professions as well as variables investigated. Thus, future researchers should make efforts to extend the study's scope to other professions that could be categorized as gender-dominated occupations. Originality/value – The findings provide evidence on the factors influencing the choice of gender-dominated occupations among female students. Hence, attention should be paid to the predicting variables investigated in that they provided significant basis for this study. These predicting variables could assist the female students in making realistic and purposeful career choices, so that they could overcome the barriers of occupational stereotyping in Nigerian society. This would enable the women to contribute their quota to their families and society in general.

The relationship between mentee-mentor gender combination and the provision of distinct mentoring functions

Jane L. Fowler, Amanda J. Gudmundsson, John G. O'Gorman — 2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between specific gender combinations of mentor-mentee and distinct mentoring functions. Design/methodology/approach – Of the 500 participants, 272 were mentees and 228 were mentors from public- and private-sector organisations, representing all four gender combinations of mentor-mentee. Participants completed a 36-item measure of mentoring functions. Findings – Hierarchical regression analyses revealed few significant relationships between gender and mentoring functions. As far as mentees were concerned, female mentors provided personal and emotional guidance to a greater extent than male mentors; female mentors provided career development facilitation to a greater extent than male mentors and female mentees were provided with career development facilitation to a greater extent than male mentees; also female mentees were provided with role modelling to a greater extent than male mentees. As far as mentors were concerned, there were no significant differences in the functions provided to female and male mentees. Research limitations/implications – The study emphasized the need to use measurement tools that examine distinct, rather than categories of, mentoring functions. The findings also suggest that gender may not be as influential, with regard to mentoring functions, as has previously been proffered. Knowledge about the relationships between gender and particular mentoring functions may be beneficial for potential and actual mentees and mentors as they make decisions about becoming involved in mentoring relationships, engage in contracting processes, and monitor and review their relationships. Originality/value – The study was the first to explore the perceptions of both mentees and mentors on gender differences in mentoring functions provided, using an adequate sample and a mentoring instrument designed on a gender representative sample.

Entrepreneurial network composition: An analysis across venture development stage and gender

Kim Klyver, Siri Terjesen — 2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in the composition of entrepreneurs' networks at four new venture stages: discovery, emergence, young, and established. Design/methodology/approach – The study used ANOVA and linear regression on a sample of 134 female and 266 male entrepreneurs. Findings – Female entrepreneurs have significantly lower proportions of males in their social networks in early venture development stages, but similar levels at later stages. Research limitations/implications – Taken together, the findings suggest that, just as women in traditional organizations adapt social networks similar to men in order to succeed, their entrepreneurial counterparts build more “male-oriented” networks as they proceed through venture phases. Originality/value – This study uses a representative sample of male and female entrepreneurs to explore network composition at four distinct stages. The findings suggest that female entrepreneurs who are able to persist in the new venture process develop networks similar to their male counterparts.

Diversity Management and Discrimination: Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities in the EU

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Damned or doomed - catalyst study on gender stereotyping at work uncovers double-bind dilemmas for women

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Hazard for Hillary? Study finds that people strongly disapprove of women's anger in professional settings – but admire men's

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

New research shows women are not the only group facing discrimination in senior positions

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Humble public sector managers lack leadership confidence

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

SHRM Announces 50 Best Small & Medium Companies to work for in America at its 59th Annual conference

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0

Organizations still not capitalising on workplace diversity

2007-11-13 00:00:00.0